Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Empowered Fe Fes & DIVAS are Takin' Back their Power against Violence

On December 10th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Empowered Fe Fes and DIVAS will share their views on violence against women and girls with disabilities through the art of dance. Their dance performance is entitled "Takin' Back Our Power" and is being choreographed by Arts & Culture staff person Ginger Lane. Ginger is a famous and highly experienced dance choreographer who has been working tirelessly with the girls and women to ensure a powerful and educational performance. Ginger works well with the group and brings discipline, knowledge of the issue, and ideas for dance movements and music to each rehearsal. Ginger wants to ensure that their voices are heard and that their stories of survival are interpreted.

The youth emcee is Gaby Carroll, a loyal volunteer at Access Living and member of the DIVAS. The Empowered Fe Fes and DIVAS featured in the Dance performance are Dawn Ramsey, Jacquelyn Thomas, Marcy Peters, Jody Thomas, Faith Finley, Brittany King, Candace Coleman, Kenyatta Murray, Mayra Puma, Jackie Northington, Precious Cantrell, and her mother Christine Jones.

This anti-violence dance performance is educational, free and open to the public. Donations will be taken during the performance so bring your coin purses and checkbooks. All proceeds will support future anti-violence projects for women and girls with disabilities.

For more information, or to request accommodations, please call or email Kimberly Wilson, Event Coordinator at 312-640-2190, TTY 312-640-2102 or via email at kwilson@accessliving.org

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

This is the Empowered Fe Fes & DIVAS first experience with using modern dance to express their views about domestic violence among women and girls with disabilities.

The girls are taking ownership of this anti-violence project by selecting dance movements, dialogue, and music that keeps it real about their stories of pain and survival.

All of the women and girls have their unique style of dance; Nina Singleton's and Jacquelyn Thomas' passionate and exaggerated dance movements tell survival stories of women and girls who have taken back their power.

Brittany King, Marcy Peters, Faith Finley, Candace Coleman, and Jody Thomas use quiet but powerful movements to express the silent screams of women whose lives have been impacted by violence.

Dawn Ramsey, Kenyatta Murray, Mayra Puma and Precious Cantrell Jones use elegant and powerful upper body movements to send a strong message; that women & girls who ambulate with wheelchairs are not victims. Their wheelchairs are vehicles of strength.

Quotes and interviews from the Empowered Fe Fes and DIVAS coming soon.

The Empowered Fe Fes & DIVAS is a project of Access Living, a Chicago-based disability rights agency run by and for people with disabilities.

The young women and girls of the Empowered Fe Fes and DIVAS use artistic forms such as dance, spoken word performance, and the media arts to examine and express issues of violence, abuse and disability rights with an eye on empowerment, creativity and independence.

This is the Empowered Fe Fes & DIVAS first experience with using modern dance to express their views about domestic violence among women and girls with disabilities.

The girls are taking ownership of this anti-violence project by selecting dance movements, dialogue, and music that keeps it real about their stories of pain and survival.

All of the women and girls have their unique style of dance; Nina Singleton's and Jacquelyn Thomas' passionate and exaggerated dance movements tell survival stories of women and girls who have taken back their power.

Brittany King, Marcy Peters, Faith Finley, Candace Coleman, and Jody Thomas use quiet but powerful movements to express the silent screams of women whose lives have been impacted by violence.

Dawn Ramsey, Kenyatta Murray, Mayra Puma and Precious Cantrell Jones use elegant and powerful upper body movements to send a strong message; that women & girls who ambulate with wheelchairs are not victims. Their wheelchairs are vehicles of strength.

Quotes and interviews from the Empowered Fe Fes and DIVAS coming soon.